Tamperproof replaceable cap



Oct. 6, 1970 P. P. GACH TAMPERPROOF REPLACEABLE CAP Filed May 2, 1969 ATT 7Y5.

INVENTOR. P. EAL'H.

BY w X M PB TER United States Patent O Continuation-impart ofapplication Ser. No. 789,734, Jan. 8, 1969. This application May 2,1969, Ser. No.

Int. Cl. B65d 43/10 US. Cl. 220-60 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Atamperproof replaceable cover cap for an aerosol spray can or the likewhich has a central dispensing valve at one end with an annular collarsurrounding the dispensing valve. The cap has an outer invertedcup-shaped portion and an inner concentric skirt. The lower edge of thecup-shaped portion engages the end of the can. The lower edge of theinner skirt has an inwardly turned retaining lip adapted to engagebeneath the collar of the can in order to retain the cap in place. Theinner edge of the lip is eccentric relative to the skirt and extendsinwardly beneath the collar a greater distance on one side of the capthan on the other side. The outer cupshaped portion has a tool accessopening formed near its lower edge through which a tool may be insertedinto contact with the can and then swung upwardly to force the capupwardly, disengaging the lip from beneath the can collar. Preferablythe retaining lip extends beneath the collar a greater distance at apoint opposite the tool access opening.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co- BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a substantially tamper-proof,replaceable cover cap for an aerosol spray can which is tightly retainedon the can, which can be removed by the use of a conventional, easilyobtainable tool and which can be replaced on the can for subsequentprotection of the spray valve.

Aerosol type dispensing containers have cylindrical bodies in which thecontained material and the gas under pressure is packaged and usuallyhave a centrally located dispensing valve at the top of the can. Thesevalves usually are enclosed within cover caps to prevent the inadvertentactuation of the valve. However, when the cans stand on the shelves instores, such as supermarkets, dishonest patrons may replace the covercap of a more expensive product with a cover cap of a cheaper product.If this is done, the checkout girl probably will charge the lower pricewhich appears on the cap rather than checking the contents of thecontainer.

In addition, many patrons in self service stores have a tendency toremove the cover cap, if possible and spray some of the content materialto determine whether or not they like the fragrance or consistency ofthe contents. After a few tests of this kind, the quantity of themixture in the can is of course substantially reduced.

A further problem experienced in aerosol containers having easilyremovable caps results from the fact that children in the home arecurious and often remove the caps, actuating the valves and dispensingthe material. This may cause damage to house furnishings or, moreimportantly, where the material in the container is corrosive orpoisonous, such as a lye compound, utilized for cleaning ovens or thelike, may even cause injury or death.

It is therefore the primary object of the invention to provide a covercap for a conventional aerosol can which 3,532,249 Patented Oct. 6, 1970is tightly held on the can by its internal structure yet which can beremoved by the use of a simple tool such as a screwdriver or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a substantiallytamperproof cover cap for an aerosol container which, after removal bythe use of a tool or the like, can be replaced on the can and againbecomes substantially tamperproof.

Suggestions have been made in the past for the utilization oftamperproof caps which must be broken in order to be initially removedfrom the container. Even if such a cap is replaceable, after thefracture of the cap, it does not resist subsequent removal as stronglyas it did initially. Therefore it is a further object of the instantinvention to provide a substantially tamperproof replaceable cover capfor an aerosol can which will resist removal a second time withsubstantially the same efiicacy as in the initial removal.

These and more specific objects and advantages of a cap embodying theinvention will be better understood from the following specification anddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a cover cap embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view taken substantially from the position indicatedby the line 33 in FIG. 1;

'FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on a greatly enlargedscale, showing portions of the inner retaining element of the cap, takenalong the lines indicated by the numbers 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, substantially identical to FIG. 2,but showing the cover cap embodying the invention in place on an aerosolcontainer and illustrating how a simple tool such as a screwdriver isutilized to remove the cover cap from the aerosol container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists of a cover cap for anaerosol spray can or the like which is designed to enclose a centraldispensing valve at one end of the can. The cap has an inverted cupshaped body which nests in the conventional annular groove around therim of such a can and surrounding its breast portion and an inner skirtdepending from its top and having an inturned lip which is engageablebeneath a conventional curled seam or collaron the can by which thevalve mechanism is connected to the end of the breast portion of thecan. The engage ment of the retaining lip with the collar of the capprevents ready removal of the cover cap from the can. The inwardlyturned lip on the bottom of the skirt extends beneath the collar on thecan a greater distance on one side than it does at the other and theinner skirt is connected to the outer inverted cup-shaped body byseveral bracing ribs which make the structure stronger thus to resistflexing of the skirt and removal of the cover from the can. An accessopening is provided near or at the bottom of the outer cup-shaped memberin order that a user may insert a tool, such as a screwdriver, wtih theend of the tool engaging the end of the aerosol can in order to leverupwardly against the cap for removing the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A tamperproof replaceable covercap for'an aersoso'l spray can embodying the invention is generallyindicated in the drawings by the reference number 10. The cap 10 has aninverted, generally cup-shaped body 11 which is of such diameter thatits lower rim or edge 12 fits into a conventional annular groove 13formed adjacent the closing seam between a can body 14 and its breastportion 15.

The cap also has an inner concentric skirt 16 and a top 17, the skirt 16being of such diameter as to enclose a dispensing opening 18 of the can10. The dispensing opening 18 comprises a valve mechanism (not shown)extending interiorly of the can 14 which is secured on the upper end ofthe breast portion 15 by a seam forming a collar 19. A dispensing valvenozzle is connected to the valve which is positioned in the opening 18and, upon manual deflection or depression of the nozzle 20, the contentsof the can 14 are dispensed therefrom.

The skirt 16 has an interior diameter such that it closely embraces thevalve rim collar 19 and, at the lower most edge of the skirt 16, it hasan inturned lip 21 of such size as to engage beneath the edge of thecollar 19. A plurality of ribs 22 connect the body 11 to the skirt 16 inorder to rigidify the compound structure and to brace the lower end ofthe skirt 16 thus to hold its lip 21 in engaging position beneath theedge of the collar 19.

Preferably the cap 10 is molded from a relatively stiff but resilientmaterial such as polystyrene resin or the like so that outward flexingof the lower edge of the skirt 16 is possible but not by merely graspingthe cap 10' and pulling it upwardly.

At one side of the body 10 and at or near its lower edge 12 there isformed a tool access opening 23 through which a person desiring toremove the cap 10 may thrust a screwdriver 24 or a similar tool. Byengaging the inner most end of the tool 24 with the breast portion 15 ofthe can 10 the user may lever upwardly on the tool 24 (as indicated bythe arrow in FIG. 5) exerting force against a reinforced top 25 for theopening 23 and lifting cap 10 with sufficient force to flex the adjacentportion of the skirt 16 outwardly to disengage its lip 21 from beneaththe collar 19.

The under cut or inturned lip 21 is eccentric with the skirt 16 so that,as can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, that portion of the lip 21 at theside of the cap 10 near the access opening 23, indicated by thereference number 21a in FIG. 4, extends beneath the collar 19 a lesserdistance than does that portion of the lip 21 indicated by the reference21b in FIG. 4 which is located at the opposite side of the cap 10 fromthe access opening 23.

Preferably the reinforcing or strengthening ribs 22 extend downwardlyfrom the top 17 a considerable proportion of the full length of theskirt 16 and, as can be seen at the right side of FIGS. 2 and 5, forexample, one of the ribs indicated by the reference number 22a extendsdownwardly to the top 25 of the access opening 23 at its outer edgewhere it is connected to the body 11. By thus extending the rib 22adownwardly, delivery of force from the top 25 of the access opening 23to the skirt 16 is insured and the outer flexing of the bottom edge ofthe skirt 16 upon application of the levering force rendered morecertain.

In practice, a typical cap 10 embodying the invention has an outerdiameter of two inches and a height of one and three eighths inches. Theinner skirt 16 has a diameter of 1.35 inches and the inturned lip 21 hasa width of .010 inch at 21a and .020 at 21b.

What I claim is:

1. A tamperproof replaceable cap for use on a dispensing containerhaving an upright body including a circular groove adjacent its upperend and an upstanding annular collar surrounding a central dispensingopening, said tamperproof replaceable cap comprising, in combination, acup-shaped body including a cover and an integral depending outer skirt,said integral depending outer skirt defining a tool access openingadjacent its lower edge, the lower portion of said outer skirt beingadapted to extend downwardly into such receiving groove in frictionalengagement with such container when said cap is in an initialtamperproof position, an inner circular skirt depending from said cover,said inner skirt having an inturned circular locking lip on the loweredge thereof that is eccentric relative to said inner skirt and thatextends inwardly a greater distance at one side of said inner skirt,said locking lip when in the initial tamperproof position being engagedbeneath the collar of such container, and at least two generallyvertical reinforcing ribs connecting said inner and outer skirts, thefirst of said ribs being aligned with such access opening and the secondof said ribs being disposed oppositely thereto, whereby a tool may beinserted through said access opening and used as a lever against saidcontainer to disengage said lip of said inner skirt from the collar ofthe container.

2. A cap according to claim 1 wherein said locking lip has an interiorcurvature complementary to the shape of the container collar and whereinthe bottom edge of said locking lip is angularly disposed upwardly andinwardly.

3. A cap according to claim 1 wherein said locking lip extends inwardlya lesser distance at the side of said inner skirt adjacent the toolaccess opening and a greater distance at the opposite side of said innerskirt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,006,510 10/1961 Sagarin 22218Z3,022,922 2/1962 Patton 22085 3,322,298 5/ 1967 Gach 220 GEORGE E.LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. or. X.R.

Disclaimer 3,532,249.-Pete'r P. Gach, Evansville, Ind. TAMPERPROOFREPLACE- ABLE CAP. Patent dated Oct. 6, 1970. Disclaimer filed Apr. 13,1970, by the assignee, Sunbeam Plastics Corporation. Hereby disclaimsthe terminal portion of the term sequent to June 2, 1987.

[Oflicial Gazette January 12,1971] of said patent sub

